Improvement in plaiting-machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. B. BERRIEN.

PLAITING-MACHINE.

Patented June 12,1877.

N-FEIERS, FHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D (5 2 Sheets-Sheet Z.

L. B. IBERRIEN.

PLAI'I'ING-MACHINE.

No.-191,.8Z5.

Patented June12,1877.

Inwniaw W Wa'iiwawew: 791/. 2%. 7 7001242 NJETERS, FHOTO-LITNOGRAPHER.WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE.

LEONARD .B. BERRIEN, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLAlTlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 191,825, dated June 12,1877; application filed April 18, 1877.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD B. BERRIEN, of Galesburg, in the county ofKnox and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ilaiting-Machines; and I do herebydeclare that thefollowing'is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference, marked thereon, which form a partof thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in planing-machines; and consists,first, in the construction of the bars for forming the plaits in thecloth, said construction consisting-of slotted bars, through which thecloth may be drawn, and the bar then rotated to form the plaitor foldsecond, as a further improvement in construction, the slottedplaiting-bars are provided with handles or cranks, by means of whichthey may be operated by hand for forming plaits in cloth, and forarrangingall of the plaiting bars in similar vertical positions forinserting the cloth; third, in mounting the series of plaiting-bars in aframe in such manner that they may be. operated by hand singly, or by adevice provided for the purpose; fourth, in the combination of alocking-bar with the slotted plaitingebars and frame, by means of whichthe plaiting-bars may be held in position as they are successivelyrotated and arranged by hand fifth, in the combination of an actuatingdevice with the slotted plaiting-bars,'by means'of'which the plaitingbars"may be successively operated for forming folds or plaits in thecloth 5 sixth, in the peculiar construction of the bar for actuating theplaiting-bars, all as hereinafter fully described. n

In the accompanying drawing, -Figure 1 is a perspectiverview of amachine. embodying my invention, and showing cloth folded into plaitstherein, as when done byhand. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a singleplaiting-bar. Fig.

3is a sectional view. Fig. 4 is a sectional view in the'linea: a: inFig.1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing the method of rotating the'plaiting-bars by an actuating device. Fig. 6 is a sectional view inFig. 5 on line a: as. Fig. 7 is a sectional view, in the line 3 y inFig. 5.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the base or bottom boardof the frame, to which the side frames B B are securely attached, andfrom which they project upward. The side frames are pierced with aseries of holes, I). The plaiting-bars (J are constructed as shown moreplainly at Fig. 2, with a longitudinal slot, 0, in each, and withjournals (1 on each end, and a handle or crank, e, on one end.

The bars 0 are placed transversely of the board A, and with theirjournals 0? resting in the holes bin the side frames B, and theirhandles 6, which extend outward of the frames B, are bent, as shown atFig. 2, so that when all turned downward the plaiting-bars will all bearranged with their slotsin an open horizontal line, as shown by theplaiting-bars at lefthand side of Figs. 3 and 5. I

Gris the locking and actuating bar, and is of a thickness nearlycorresponding to the distance between the bars 0 when turned down, andthe base A, as shown at righthand half of Fig. 3. Near one end of thebar G is a notch or recess, g, on one side of which is a higherprojecting finger, g, and on its other side a lower projecting finger,g, as

shown plainly at Fig. 7. H is a ledge, which acts as a guide at one sideof the bar G, and his a projecting staple, which acts against one of theframes B as a guide at its other side when the bar G is used as anactuating device for the plaiting-bars, as hereinafter described.

For box-plaiting, and other styles in which the bars (3 must be operatedby hand, I proceed as follows: While the plaiting-bars O are all in thepositions shown by those at the lefthand side of Figs. 3 and 5, thestrip of cloth F, which is to be operated upon, may be inserted in astraight-line through the series of slots 0, by means of a hook-rod, f,or other suitable device, and the cloth thus be brought into position inthe plaiting-bars, as shown at left-hand sides or halves of samefigures. While the cloth is in the last-named position, it will beevident that either bar 0 may be rotated by means of its crank e, toform a fold or plait, as shown at Fig. 1, where box-plaiting, and plaitsturned to the right hand and to the left hand, are shown. In making thelast-named styles of plaiting, and, in fact, all styles, except one, Icommence at the bar 0, at the right-hand side of the machine, and turnthe bars 0 successively, to form the folds in the cloth. To hold theplaiting-bars after the plait is formed, I insert the bar G, with itsplain end foremost, between the bars 0 and board A, and as eachplaiting-bar O is rotated into the desired position, I push the end ofthe bar G forward and beneath it, to hold or look it, as shown at Fig.3.

To rotate or operate the bars 0 by means of the actuating-bar G, andform plaits in the cloth similarly folded, as shown at Figs. 5 and 6,1proceed as follows: The cloth is drawn within the slotted bars 0, in thesame manner as hereinbefore described, and with its surplus unfolded endprojecting from the lefthand side of the machine. The bar G is nowinserted between the bars (J and the baseboard A, with the end' havingthe fingers g 9" forward, and as the bar G is now pushed forward, thefingers 9 will first rotate the plaiting-bars 0 through an arc of aboutone hundredand fifty degrees, and turn them successively back into therecess 9, as shown by dotted lines at Fig. 7, where they are in positionto be acted upon successively by the advanc ing fingerg", and thusrotated through an arc of about one hundred and twenty degrees, tocompletethe fold or plait in the cloth. The first .plait. formed at theleft-hand side of the machine will secure the cloth at that end, andcause material to be drawn from the opposite .side to form the plaits,as the bar G is advauced to actuate the bars 0.

When the folds are completed, by hand or by the actuating device, theboard I may be inserted, as shown at Fig. 1, and a warm iron and dampcloth used, in the ordinary manner, to set or fix the folds. The board Iand bar G being then withdrawn, the plaited cloth may be drawn throughto the right-hand side of the machine, to bring unplaited materialwithin the slotted bars 0, for further similar operations.

For arranging the bars G for the insertion of the cloth, the bar G maybe pressed upon the cranks c, and turn them alluniformly into position.

The cranks e are arranged alternately at opposite sides of the machine,to give them operating space.

Various styles of plaiting. may be made by removing occasional bars 0and turning them in opposite directions, and otherwise.

Either bar 0 can be removed by springing a frame, 13, outward slightly,and then first withdrawing the shorter journale.

The device may be secured to the table in any ordinary manner.

I do not claim as my invention a number of straight wires pivoted to ahinged bar, and arranged to plait a fabric placed between them byturning the wires.

What I claim as new is 1. In a plaiting-machine, the, plaiting-barsconstructed with a. longitudinal slot, 0, in each bar, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. Longitudinally-slotted.plaiting-bars 0, having a crank, e, on theirends, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. Longitudinally-slotted plaiting bars 0, having a journal, d, on eachend, combined to operate with frame-bars B B anda base, A, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

4. The locking-bar G, arrangedto'operate with the slotted plaiting-bars0, base A, and bars B, in which the bars 0 arejournaled, substantiallyas described, and-for the purpose 5. In combination with slottedplaitiug-bars O and the frame in which they are mounted, anactuating-bar, G, for rotating them successively, substantially as andfor the pur pose specified. V

6. The actuating-bar G, having fingers g g and recess g at one end,arranged for operation with the pivoted slotted bars 0, substantially asdescribed, and for. the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afiix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

' LEONARD B. BERRIEN.

Witnesses:

J. B. REGNIER, THOMAS McKee.

